Member Thoughts: Stereotypically Different Social Media

Member
Thoughts: Stereotypically Different Social Media

Here it is: another article about social media. From
Snapchat-crazed tweens to your parents on Facebook, we all have our standing
perceptions of social network sites and their uses. As Twitter celebrates its
10-year anniversary, however, the camp who believed social media was a passing
fad a few years ago seems to be more in the wrong with each status update,
Instagram post, or tweet.

The accounting industry also suffers from some unfairly
applied stereotypes – the bean counter, the green visor and suspenders, the
cost/benefit kings. Those of us in the profession know that the old
descriptions of ourselves have changed dramatically alongside the quickening
pace of technological change. As a high school student who learned debits and
credits on a 14-column post-closing trial balance worksheet to a professional who
rarely prints a hard copy of anything, I’ve witnessed much of the change in the
day-to-day work CPAs perform for their clients. The proliferation of social
media is an extension of that adaptation of technological change, and used
throughout our profession to collaborate, inform, and communicate with our
colleagues and clients.

Social
Media as a Collaboration Tool

CPAs have long been typecast as introverted creatures,
and to a certain extent our duties require us to hunker down and focus to solve
complex problems on an individual basis. The other side of that coin has
historically been the collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking found at
regional and national conferences. Post-busy season boondoggles are scheduled
by our associations in the best locales, both for R&R and CPE, and we can
all think of a CPA colleague that’s looking forward to that Santa Barbara
conference next month, or the national program in New Orleans next fall.

Social media has encapsulated the connections and shared
experience of those events in new ways. Conference programs can prep their
attendees by opening up LinkedIn groups related to specific CPE tracks at their
event. Users can log in ahead of the travel and download materials, review
speaker bios, and see who else plans on attending their sessions.

Conferences also use hashtags on Twitter and Instagram to
provide a one-stop source for content and connection. Can’t make the trip to
Chicago next week for the conference? Just type in the official conference
hashtag during the week and see posts from the speakers, organizers and
attendees to follow along with what’s happening. Those hashtags also work to
keep people connected long after the closing session. For example, the VSCPA
Leadership Academy occurs annually for approximately 30 individuals in
November. Attendees of the 2015 program can search #VSPCALDR and find posts
from last year’s events, updates from attendees throughout the year, and pose
questions to Leadership Academy alums instantly.

Social
Media as an Information Source

As the internet gets louder, more noisy, confusing, and
opinionated, it can be easy to cast off social media as a worthless exercise of
angry anonymous comments yelling at each other. Knowing how to use social media
platforms to get the information you want can be valuable in ignoring the
clutter. Think of social media as you would any research resource: if you are
looking for opinions on accounting pronouncements at the local library, would
you go to the tabloids or the magazine rack? Hopefully not!

All the major players in the accounting world are present
on social media. Check out the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB)
Twitter account (@FAFNorwalk) or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
LinkedIn Page. Real-time developments are posted throughout the accounting
community as events are happening, and can be a great source of information on
those topics. Helping your clients with the new revenue recognition guidance? A
search of #revrec will provide comments from the Big 4, sole practitioners, and
F&PA groups implementing the changes. Think the leasing standard isn’t
going to impact your industry? #LeaseAccounting posts on Twitter can provide
insight into what our contemporaries think on the matter, and even link you to
free CPE webcasts on the topic.

Social
Media as a Marketing Tool

After using social media to connect with your industry
colleagues and to stay up to date on developments in the profession, you may
consider dabbling in sharing and providing content of your own. After reading
up on your company’s policies and best practices, I’d encourage you to give it
a try. There may be no easier, faster, and efficient way to let your clients
and peers know your thoughts than social media. Without setting up a tediously
formatted, branded, and potentially expensive website, you can hop on your
professional Facebook page and share your thoughts. A Google search of your
name will now bring interested individuals directly to your insights, and not
just your company bio page.

Social media can also provide you an avenue to break into
new service offerings and industries. If you’ve recently been achieved your
Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation from the American Institute of
CPAs (AICPA), but are unsure of how to pursue work in that specialty, you can
start sharing CFP-related topics and information through social media. You can
reach out to other CFP folks with retweets or direct messages to ask questions
about building your practice.

Geographically speaking, social media can also provide a
comfortable avenue to reach out to area professionals and clients with awkward
sales calls or waiting in office lobbies. Did you just move to a new city, and
are looking to make professional connections in the area? Start interacting
with the local Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, or VSCPA chapter
accounts to get your name out there in your new location. The response can be
swift and overwhelming, but you’ll be well on your way to making a place for
yourself in your new home.

Conclusion

As providers of expertise, advice, and opinions, CPAs are
always held to a higher standard — social media use should be no different. By
interacting with your followers and colleagues in a professional manner, you
can grow your presence virtually and reality. If you are discussing real facts
and circumstances with a client, it may be best to provide those insights in a
more formal manner than a 140-character update on Twitter. Be confident in your
social media presence, but always use caution.

In the end, social media is merely an extension of all
those things CPAs have done for years — collaborate, inform and communicate. By
keeping up with changing trends in those areas, CPAs stand to continue on the
forefront of business into the future, and break those old stereotypes in the
public’s mind once and for all.